Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Chanel Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadows from Les Essentials de Chanel for Fall 2012

There are six shades of Chanel's Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadows ($28.50) featured with Les Essentials de Chanel for Fall 2012. One, Complice, may be a limited edition (reported by other bloggers, although the Chanel literature doesn't identify it as such). I purchased two when I got to the counter. Even though I was disinterested in the Premier Regard quad, the single colors delighted me when I swatch-tested them.

Complice, a shimmering natural soft peach, is shown at left above. Éclairé, gold and gleaming, is shown at right above. The other shades are Furtif, pale grey (gorgeous); Infini, a gorgeous shimmering silver; Indescret, midnight blue; and Noir, matte black. I think I'm going back for Infini. It was so beautiful, but I was trying - once again - to be budget-minded so I came home without it. That silver has been haunting me, though.

A Chanel classic, this ultra-fine powder eyeshadow is luxurious in feel, foolproof in its application (unlike some shimmering shadows), and fabulous in its range of matte, satin, and shimmer finishes. The versatile formula can be applied dry for subtle shading or dampened for more intense color, and the complementary shades can be blended with one another to lighten or deepen tone. I think most of you know how to use eye shadow, but I included this factoid from Chanel.

Naturally, I selected two shimmering shades. My eyes are drawn to shimmer, and I love the look on my face. I think my eyes are my best feature, so I like to draw attention to them.

I took my swatch photos in full sun, which did wash out the colors a tad. I applied each with a sponge-tipped applicator. Complice is shown at the top of my arm, with it's pink-peach shine. Éclairé, the shimmering gold below, is equally pretty. They are basic shades that should be in everyone's eyeshadow collection. I know I probably have other colors that are similar, but I wanted these new ones. They apply like a dream, and I love the fact that I can wear each alone. Swipe and go.

While the Ombre Essentielle Soft Touch Eyeshadows may not be the "flashiest" shades in the Fall 2012 Collection, they are extremely worthy of your attention, especially if you need to fill a gap in your single shadows. I know Chanel fans will love them.

As I keep repeating, Chanel's Fall 2012 Collection is arriving at more and more stores with each passing day. Call your favorite Chanel counter before you go - just to make sure they have the collection. If you need help, I've provided a Neiman Marcus contact in the comments of several of my features on this collection. If you are in or near New York, you can find the collection at  Bergdorf Goodman. I think they received it first.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

16 comments:

Nemo said...

Prettier than the quad.

Rosemary said...

Yes, I want these and that silver one too!

lovethescents said...

Gorgeous swatches but they make me think summer more than fall :-)

Sian said...

They're very pretty but I think they are more spring/summer xx

Eileen said...

When I first saw the singles, I was sure I already had similar colors at home, and I do. The new formula kept calling to me, though, so I caved in and bought two: Complice and Furtif.

Complice is a lovely, shimmering, champagne peach that is gorgeous as a highlighter. Furtif is a soft glimmer of cool, medium gray with a slight blue undertone. With those two shadows and my trusty black liner, I am able to create a less intense; softer version of Chanel's smoky eye promo picture that will be perfect for autumn.

Although Éclairé (light silvery gold) and Infini (white hot silver) are drop dead gorgeous, they are quite sparkly and better suited to a night out. They'd be lovely for any kind of festivity.

Hi Lovethescents; Hi Sian

Don't let the lightness of the colors Charlestongirl has shown you fool you into thinking that these are only for summer. They are not. They are gorgeous highlighting shades meant to be worn with a deeper, smokier color. Remember, there are two other shadows in the collection: Noir (matte black) and Indiscrete (midnight blue).

By the way, Sabrina (Beauty Look Book) has swatches that demonstrates the difference in color intensity when applied alone and then when applied over a base. These colors can really pop!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Nemo,

I agree!

Charlestongirl said...

Rosemary, you know you need a shade when it haunts you for days after you see it. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lovethescents,

Yes, shimmery pastels do scream summer, but I wear them year round.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Sian,

They are perfect for now. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Eileen. I hadn't seen Sabrina's post yet. I wear these shades year round, but I recognize that for some they are summery. They switch to more winter-like shades, while I keep wearing shades like these all year.

Funny how we decide we aren't going to buy something (or vice versa) from the promo photos, and then we flip at the counter. Did we both do it?

Eileen said...

Hi Charlestongirl,

When looking at the various promo pictures of the products, there was so much that looked lovely but didn't inspire me. When I went to the counter to play with the testers, it was a whole different story. This collection just has so many possibilities. And the new formulation of the eyeshadows is really outstanding. I was hard pressed to keep my selection down to just two :-)

Anonymous said...

Did your counter actually have indiscret? It seems to be missing at both Nordstrom and neimans online....

Eileen said...

Hi Anonymous,

On every blog I've read, people are on the hunt for Indiscreet. Wouldn't a deep midnight blue look stellar with the silvery shades? I hope we'll soon get some word as to where we can get it. Anyone out there know nothing about it?

Eileen said...

Oops! Know nothing?!? Well, obviously I meant know anything. Sorry about that.

Charlestongirl said...

I saw Indiscret. It's gorgeous! Not a "me shade" - a bit too dark and flashy, but it's stunning.

Nawi said...

i purchuse complice and furtif as well normally I do not like the europeon versions of the Chanel eyeshadow's but these where so smooth and shiny I loved them I considered getting Eclaire but I still have the blazing gold from the Christmas collection do you now if they are similar?